The Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross as prayed in common at the Cathedral Parish during the season of Lent. A brief version is prayed following the 12:10 p.m. daily Mass on Wednesdays during Lent. A longer version is prayed following the 5:15 p.m. daily Mass on Fridays during Lent. The Stations of the Cross are also prayed in Spanish on Friday evenings during Lent.

The Stations of the Cross are a special devotion, practiced especially during the penitential season of Lent. Stations of the Cross focus on the events from the moment that Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate until he was ﬁnally buried. During the devotion, through meditation and prayer, we walk with our Savior on his way of suffering. We focus on his suffering to help us recall his enormous love for us and the great price he paid for our redemption.

This devotion, which has existed in its modern form from the 16th century, has its beginnings in apostolic times. There is every reason to believe that the apostles, the disciples, and the close friends of Jesus also walked the way of suffering, meditating again and again on the Passion of their Redeemer and Master.

Most churches have the Stations of the Cross depicted in a prominent way on the inside walls of the church or in garden settings outside. There have been many beautiful meditations and prayers that have been written for the Stations. The most beloved of these prayers is the “Adoramus te, Christe,” which reads: “We adore you O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.” At each station, usually a Scripture is read followed by a brief meditation and then a period of silence. Before moving to the next station, the prayer above may be said. The Stations can be done individually or in a group.